Phone Booth

REVIEW
An 82-minute film in which the main character does nothing more than talk on the phone? Sheer folly even by Hollywood's standards. Or so you'd think. Solid direction from Schumacher and a fierce performance by Farrell transform screenwriter Larry Cohen's gimmicky story into a tense, suspenseful thriller that may have even amused Hitchcock. In yet another dynamic portrayal that will finally catapult him onto the top of Hollywood's A-list, Farrell plays Stu Shepard, a cocky, shallow New York publicist who hasn't quite lost his soul like J.J. Hunsecker in Sweet Smell of Success, but he's certainly on his way. Rarely off his cell phone, Stu uses a phone booth for daily calls to a pretty client he's trying to bed. Upon hanging up, he answers the ringing phone, and is told by the person on the other end that if he hangs up he'll be shot. To prove the point, the mysterious caller shoots a troublesome pimp, precipitating a police standoff, TV news coverage and life-threatening demands when everyone thinks it was Stu who pulled the trigger. Schumacher keeps the pacing quick, and flashy cinematography and editing conspire to give the impression that the film is more active than it really is; after all, Farrell barely moves from one spot throughout the entire film. However, it's to the actor's credit that Phone Booth always appears in motion -- residue from a high-velocity performance that assures an improbable scenario is never anything but believable, compelling and wholly enjoyable.